dechezette

I remember as a kid not understanding what my mother did as a career. And then transitioning to an adult and her not understanding what I did as a career. I used to chalk that up to a generational thing - the older folk just don’t get all this computer stuff. I then realized that when speaking to people outside of my industry (and the clients we serve), that I was struggling to articulate what exactly it is I do.

Scene: Get together with new parents in someone’s backyard

Interested Person: So, what do you do?

Me: I’m a Creative Director for Interactive

Interested Person: (furrowed brow) What’s that?

Me: (quickly defeated and cutting to the chase) I make websites.

“I make websites” is a pitiful way to describe the scope and love that I have for my craft. And from a personal branding perspective it grossly undersells my value. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about businesses over the years (any business) is that they always struggle to practice what they preach.

The answer to my predicament is really not that tough - lead with the value you provide, then talk about how that value is manifested.

When you’re frequently surrounded by people who do what you do, or buy your services, it’s easy to put off creating your elevator speech.

    My homework assignment:
  • develop a short statement of what I do that Interested Person can understand
  • develop a simple way to articulate the value of brand experience, user experience and design

Does this situation sound familiar? I’m curious to hear about your challenges and successes in this area.

posted to Brand & Customer Experience, Interaction Design & User Experience
1 Comment
Jon Deutsch 22 May 09  at  01:53 PM

I have found that an effective elevator pitch needs a core (intrinsic value) and an interface (extrinsic value).

The “core” is your belief of what you bring to the table from your perspective and personal values.  This is where “the “truth” comes from, and when you know your own truth, people will intrinsically feel the connection between your soul and your career.

The “interface” is your assessment of what your audience/customer is looking for/is in need of.  This is the marketing layer—the meaning linkage—between core/intrisic value and perceived/extrinsic value.

In my view, an elevator pitch needs to incorporate both of these components to convey meaning (your personal truth) as well as value (why the meaning matters).

I disagree with you on the easiness factor.  I do not believe this is easy!  I think it’s very difficult to dig deep into core beliefs (intrinsic value) and then pivot to the marketing (extrinsic value) in ~60 seconds!

Your two steps actually mirror what I’m suggesting, but in the opposite direction (extrinsic value first, then intrinsic value next).  This might be the right order, but I think it’s worth a debate to consider if the order matters at all, and if it does, which order is most effective.

With regards to implementation, I’ve had moments of clarity when this model works very well.  Then I have moments of nuance and internal confusion when I am unable to find my inner truth.  What I am quite good at is the extrinsic value proposition—assessing what someone else wants/needs.  That’s partly because I’m a Myers-Briggs “extrovert.”  Introverts, on the other hand, will likely have a more resilient connection to their inner truth, but have a tougher time measuring the audience effectively with pinpoint accuracy in a very short time frame.

This dichotomy suggests that a team of an extrovert and introvert combined would be the most effective in the elevator pitch.  Perhaps that’s why teams of two or more tend to get more venture capital than solo artists.

Add a comment







 
« The Gospel According to The Office | Ernesto Neto's Interactive Colossus at the Armory »